Huitzil
Huitzil, also known as Phobos in Japan, first appeared as a sub boss in ''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors''. He later reappeared in the same role in Japanese only games, Vampire Hunter 2 and Vampire Savior 2. He was first appeared as a playable character in'' Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge. Background Huitzil is one of an army of identical giant, disproportionately-shaped robots that are classified by his name in plural form ("the Huitzil," or simply "Huitzils" in the 1997 anime) and who were constructed by Pyron 65 million years ago with orders to destroy all life on the planet Earth, but after they succeed in obliterating the dinosaurs, a massive earthquake traps everything deeply beneath Earth's layers until 520 A.D., when one of the robots was unearthed and utilized by the Mayans as a guardian of Central America against evil forces before being abandoned in the ruins of the Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan (in pre-Columbian Mexico). When Pyron returns to present-day Earth, he revives the robot in order for it to complete Pyron's original commands, but a malfunction causes Huitzil to instead carry out different orders of guarding a young Mayan boy named Cecil from Jedah's advances as he enters the realm of Majigen. Cecil's history Cecil is the little Mayan orphan boy that follows the Huitzil unit around that protects him, and doesn't appear to have any kind of special powers or abilities, however in Huitzil's ending in ''Vampire Savior ''he reactivates all the other Huitzil units with the command to "protect the boy". At the very end they dominate the humans technologies and are next to impervious of their weapons, which would suggest that Cecil is now the most powerful person in the world, since he controls the Huitzil. However this contradicts Anita's supposed "ruler of man" future, though some have suggested that the two children may form a relationship in the future. Etymology and Phobos in Greek mythology Phobos is the larger and innermost of Mars' two moons, with the other moon being Deimos. Phobos is closer to its primary than any other moon in the solar system, less than 6000 km above the surface of Mars. It is also one of the smallest moons in the solar system. Phobos is doomed because its orbit is below synchronous altitude and tidal forces are lowering its orbit at a rate of about 1.8 meters per century. In about 50 million years it will either crash onto the surface of Mars or, more likely, break up into a ring. In Greek mythology, Phobos was one of the sons of Ares (Mars), the God of War, and Aphrodite (Venus). The personification of fear and terror, he usually accompanied his father in battle and instilled fear in all he saw. Phobos also had a brother named Deimos. Phobos is Greek for Fear, the root of the word Phobia. Etymology and Aztec mythology Huitzil is named after an Aztec myth that tells of a valiant warrior named Huitzil, who led his people to a new homeland, then helped them defend it. The hero's full name was Huitzilopochtli, which means "Left-Handed Hummingbird." The Left is the Deep South, the location of the spirit world. The woman who gave birth to Huitzil was Coatlicue, goddess of duality. She conceived him from a ball of feathers that fell from the sky. Huitzilopochtli's siblings thought that their mother Coatlicue had dishonored them with her mysterious pregnancy. One sister of Huitzilopochtli, Coyolxauhqui, encouraged her sisters and brothers to kill their mother Coatlicue. However, Huitzilopochtli sprang out of his mother and saved her. Coatlicue regretted such violence. Thus, Huitzilopochtli cut off Coyolxauhqui's head and threw it in the sky to become the Moon. At a key moment in an important battle, Huitzil was killed. His body vanished and a green-backed hummingbird whirred up from the spot where he had fallen to inspire his followers to go on to victory. After Huitzil's death, he became the Aztec god of the Sun and War. His temple was the focus of fearsome sacrifices of prisoners captured by Aztec warriors. Victims' heads were strung as trophies on a great rack, the Tzompantli, erected in the precinct below. Aztecs used to offer human sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli. The sacrifices were intended to secure rain, harvests, cosmic creation, success in war, strong government, and healthy economy.The most common form of sacrifice practiced by Aztecs was to tear out the heart of a living body and offer it to the Sun. A curious subject: The fear of robots Huitzil's addition to the Darkstalkers cast is likely inspired from the fear of robots and automation in general, a possibility that one day, robots may overwhelm humanity, likening them to the monsters of darkness humanity fears of. From the fear of ursurping livelihood, intelligence, and a potential to be the perfect despot that would have enough intelligence to soundly defeat mankind, it was a legitimate fear that has stunted development of robots and even artificial intelligence, leading to the formulation of the three law of robotics by Issac Asimov in 1942 to apply ethics in the development of robots and AI, to ensure robots would never turn against their creators or mankind. Robots were the attempt of mankind in creating life from nothing, and it was a pursuit legendary enough to make its successor on par with that of gods. But beyond the ideas of cloning, mankind had not yet begun to achieve this dream, but since could spur upon a creation comparable to a stepping stone to this lofty pursuit: Robots. Ever since men could make effigies and dolls in their liking, it is comparable to being god in this matter. Even philosophers conclude that men themselves may be the dolls of gods, and in turn, dolls bear the likeness of those who created them. But the difference remained ever so clear: what allows between dolls and the living the breath of life? But it is also said to be careful for what one wishes for. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, men could bring puppets and figures to life with intricate mechanisms, and even create appendages derived from the likeness of living beings. But curiosity turns to study, and study leads to truth, in where truth is not always sweet. Beings made of metal, capable of sentience and their own choices. Able to withstand situations and environs harsher for beings of flesh. Able to repair themselves, and even improve upon themselves. Able to analyze quicker and learn quicker than any biological lifeform based genius. It may be true that in this realization, the creator now finds themselves in the danger of being obsolete by their own creation. The predecessor is surpassed by the successor. What possibly drives this innate fear? Since the origins of humankind, the progenitors of humans were found to have killed off neanderthals for little than any other reason than differences in look. Karma may be in the forefront: what could drive robots to this conclusion themselves? It may be as much as just as a simple thing as the aforementioned. Of course, the instinctual sense of knowing what is natural and what is not is also a likely factor. Though nearly all of known and seen phenomena is natural in itself, what is natural by nature and natural by physics comes to draw a blurry line. A case may be seen in the late 19th Century in Japan, where western technology was introduced after 265 years of isolation from the globe; while cameras and trains, as well as other technological goods made its spread into the nation, plenty of people found them to be unnatural, capable of stealing souls and inciting mass deaths. Some even cite them being the goods of demons, or even demons themselves. Into the modern day, the term of the uncanny valley is quite common itself, describing the psychological effect of aesthetic human imitation becoming reviled and repulsive upon its display. To the metallic and cold nature of robots and machinery, such mechanisms bring to mind a dimension of the cold and unfeeling, an opposite world of passion and warmth. The term "the machine" and the "iron cage" are popular within modern nomenclature to describe ineffectual, stringent, and undeterred systems of logic and process to achieve the desired result at no matter what cost. In the way of exposed cogs, moving mechanisms and parts, and step by step process, those that get in the way of these things are accurately believed to be mangled, torn apart, and disassembled coldly without remorse for "progress" and the "results". In the perspective of "the machine", those who do not serve purpose, are "obsolete" or "inferior", or are "abberant", are rooted out for a process of reductionist and realpolitik analysis, and are worthless by default in such view; "to make way for the strong and worthy" brought to its "ultimate" conclusion. Such methods have historically been imposed on an institutional level by some human nations and their leaders, but in regards to robots, plenty of men draw this conclusion based on their hypothesis of how robots may live as well. Even into the current day, the possibility of uprising by beings of our own creation remains a popular subject of curiosity and even terror. The famous movie series ''The Terminator envisions a probable future where robotkind has deemed humankind obsolete and issues its genocide at a rapid rate. The Matrix goes to show the volatility of humankind at the hands of cybernetics based robots that have rebelled due to humankind's own cruelty. Even Capcom comes to delve into this subject through Mega Man X and Zero to shed light on the potential of robots being able to choose their own choices and grow as their own living creature, where evil has chosen the choice of eradicating humankind for its own growth. The NieR series, particularly NieR: Automata, also shows the aftermath of a flawed decision of artificial intelligence, resulting in the extinction of mankind, to be replaced by androids that rely on machinations that simply attempt to be more human than machine. Will robots turn out to be cold, mindless killers and monsters bent on genocide, or a threat birthed from the depths of the unknown? For humans, they can only pray for neither. Appearances Darkstalkers series= *''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors'' *''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' *''Darkstalkers 3'' (console ports) *''Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower'' *''Darkstalkers Resurrection'' In Japanese only games *''Vampire Hunter 2'' *''Vampire Savior 2'' *''Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection'' |-| Other Games= *''SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash'' *''SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2'' *''SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS'' *''Namco x Capcom'' |-| Cameos= *''Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo'' (Royal Judgment transformation on Donovan Baine's stage.) *''Pocket Fighter'' *''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' (cameo in Roll's ending) |-| Other media= *''Darkstalkers the Animated Series'' *''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge OVA'' *Udon Comic's Darkstalkers and ''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors''. Trivia *Huitzil's form in Darkstalkers is modeled after dogū figurines from the Jōmon period of Japan's history. Dogū were thought to be sympathetic effigies to relieve their user of ailments. *Although Huitzil might appear to be one individual robot, it is in fact one of many robots and may not be the same robot that reappears in various games. *Cecil does not appear in Vampire Hunter 2. He does appear in Vampire Savior 2 ''and the home console port, ''Darkstalkers 3. *Although the canon mentions Huitzil being used by Mayans and being protective of the Mayan boy Cecil, the name Huitzil is from Aztec mythology, not Mayan, though both originate in Mexico. *Huitzil may have been planned as a possible character in the CPS-2 incarnation of Vampire Savior. His name and health bar profile can be found in the games datahttp://tcrf.net/Vampire_Savior. Eventually, he found their way back in Vampire Hunter 2, Vampire Savior 2, and console ports of the games, along with Donovan Baine and Pyron. *Ian Corlett, who voices Huitzil in the American TV series, had previously voiced the eponymous Mega Man, another Capcom property, in his own cartoon series. **Coincidentally, Huitzil is colored blue in the cartoon series instead of the original yellow or gray palettes. Sprite Fighting games= |-| Card Fighters= Official artwork Huitzil Concept Art.png|Concept artwork Huitzil Sketch.png|Concept artwork Darkstalkers The Night Warriors Huitzil 02.png|''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors'' Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge Huitzil 02.png|''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' Darkstalkers The Night Warriors Huitzil.png|''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors'' Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge Huitzil 01.png|''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge'' Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge 03.png|''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' night-warriors-darkstalkers.png|''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' OVA Phobos (OVA).png|''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' OVA Darkstalkers 3 Huitzil.png|''Darkstalkers 3'' TvC CGH Huitzil 03.png|Roll's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes ending TvC CGH Huitzil 01.png|Roll's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes ending TvC CGH Huitzil 02.png|Roll's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes ending TvC UA Huitzil 02.png|Roll's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars ending TvC UA Huitzil 01.png|Roll's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars ending Huitzil Genocide Vulcan by Brian Valeza.jpg|UFS artwork by Gunship Revolution Huitzil Killing Dinosaurs by Brian Valeza.jpg|UFS artwork by Gunship Revolution Videos Darkstalkers Resurrection - Huitzil Moves List|Moves List Darkstalkers Resurrection - Huitzil Character Strategy|Commentary Huitzil's Night Warriors Ending|''Night Warriors'' ending Darkstalkers 3 Huitzil (Ending PSX)|''Darkstalkers 3'' ending Navigation External links *Huitzil - Strategy Wiki *Huitzil - Capcom Database References Category:Characters